Jordan Hall Wants to Be Your Go-To Dinner Spot

The Pelham restaurant’s approach is good food, good service, and a good time.

By Samantha Garbarini

Grilled bacon with chutney.

“Every morning, the first thing I do is look at Google and Yelp to see the feedback [we’re getting from customers],” says George Figueiredo. As GM at Jordan Hall, Figueiredo wants to make sure that customers enjoyed their experience at the revamped Pelham restaurant — and that they’ll come back. As he explains it: “I want to be that American bistro that people want to come to, whether it’s date night, family night, or just a quick meal between doing errands.”

To have that kind of broad appeal, Jordan Hall has reworked its menu to be a bit more approachable and to feature what Figueiredo calls “little twists.” There’s the Angry Shrimp Toast, three seared shrimp in a buttery white-wine sauce with garlic and red chilies; fried calamari tossed in a sweet-tangy mix of lime, chili, and cilantro; and a tropical-sounding tuna tartare with mango salsa and avocado. The menu features and expanded selection of sandwiches (most priced under $15), such as the Glover BLT with thick slabs of char-broiled bacon and sriracha-laced mayonnaise. In the mood for something classic? They’ve got those, too, including USDA prime steaks and a tender chicken scarpariello. And desserts — crispy-edged banana bread pudding topped with Bananas Foster flambéed tableside — are literally on fire.

Prime USDA steak with creamy mushroom risotto.

The bar menu has its own twists with a rotating list of sorbet martinis. The drinks use sorbet instead of fruit juices — they’ll be especially refreshing once summer rolls around — and Figueiredo is always looking for new flavors to try like cucumber or lychee. Live music on Wednesday nights and jazz brunch on Sunday afternoons is also on the calendar.

It’s all part of how Figueiredo wants to keep customers coming back. “I want people to enjoy the business,” he says. “Food is very, very important. So is service, but if you enjoy being at a place…that’s why people want to come back.”